New proposals to exclude leather from the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation

On 4th May, 2026, the European Commission published a simplification package that includes excluding leather from the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) subject to a public consultation that is set to conclude on 1st June. 

The leather exemption is part of a broader simplification review from the European Commission that focusing on EUDR’s Annex I, which lists the commodities covered by the deforestation regulation. 

Following the publication of the draft, feedback can be submitted until June 1, 2026. 

The European Commission’s proposal states:

“Hides, skins and leather are derived products from cattle. Considering the differentiation of the leather downstream value chain from the meat value chain, asymmetries in trade flows between meat and hides, and the relatively low economic value of cattle skins and hides compared to meat within the overall cattle production, economic operators in the Union have limited leverage to demand the information necessary to comply with Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 from their suppliers. In addition, the exclusion of downstream leather products from the scope of Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 creates a fragmented and incoherent approach for the leather sector and for operators placing the relevant goods on the Union market and may result in the relocation rather than the elimination of the deforestation risk. For those reasons, HS Codes ‘ex 4101 Raw hides and skins of cattle (fresh, or salted, dried, limed, pickled or otherwise preserved, but not tanned, parchment-dressed or further prepared) whether or not dehaired or split’, ‘ex 4104 Tanned or crust hides and skins of cattle, without hair on, whether or not split, but not further prepared’, and ‘ex 4107 Leather of cattle, further prepared after tanning or crusting, including parchment-dressed leather, without hair on, whether or not split, other than leather of heading 4114’, should be deleted from Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2023/1115.”

Click here to learn more about deforestation

Visit the EU website here